Woods gearing up for Open Championship

Time is running out for Tiger Woods to play championship golf.

The 15-time major champion admitted that prior to teeing off in the second round of the JP McManus Pro-Am in Limerick, Ireland on Tuesday. Woods is playing the event to tune up for next week’s Open Championship.

"If you would have asked me last year if I’d play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said no," said Woods, referring to his car crash in February 2021. "But here I am playing, and I’ve played two major championships this year. I will always be able to play golf, whether it’s this leg or different body pieces that have been replaced or fused. But if you say championship level, that’s a totally different story. That window is not as long as I would like it to be."

Woods returned to play at the Masters in April, making the cut and finishing tied for 45th. He also played the PGA Championship in May at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla. He made the cut there as well but withdrew following the third round looking tired and uncomfortable.

He had hoped to play last month’s U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., but had to pass on the year’s third major due to his physical condition.

"The plan was to play the U.S. Open," Woods said. "But physically I was not able to do that. No way physically I could have done that.”

Woods will play the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, where he won the Claret Jug in 2000 and 2005. He also won the title in 2006 at Royal Liverpool.

"I’ve gotten a lot stronger since the PGA, that’s for sure," he stated. "I’ve been able to put in a lot more reps which is great. I still prefer riding in a cart. I’m doing that here only because I don’t need to push it right now. I’ve got a long week ahead of me and all of next week to do that. Save the legs. We can still train as hard as we do each and every day.”

Woods was well down the leaderboard at the Irish pro-am, opening with a round of 77.